Reading List

Chicago is getting its very first Chick-fil-A in April and people are pretty close to losing their minds as the fast food giant expands across the Midwest. Chicago has enough problems with its collective weight (thanks, pizza), and Chick-fil-A’s staunch stance against gay marriage makes me queasy. The company also has this creepy statement of purpose: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

That’s a heavy sandwich.

With apologies to my transplanted, salivating southern friends, I know we’ve done you wrong with the weather and we sort of owe you one but we don’t need another fast food restaurant and we definitely don’t need to welcome a business that hides behind Christian values to fuel bigotry.

While I am a vegetarian, I’m not made of stone. The company’s Eat More Chikin campaign is super cute. And I get that people have fond, buttery childhood memories that include the popular sandwiches. But we’re not six, and fast food chicken sandwiches are terrible for both your body and the planet.

I’m not saying you have to shell out for Karyn’s Cooked every day, but there’s a Subway across the street from the new location, so if animal rights and environmentally conscious eating aren’t your things, please, think of your ass! We’re all smart enough to know that 920 calories for lunch (original sandwich, medium fries and medium sweet tea) is too many. Sure, you can order a salad, but you’re at Chick-fil-A. Who orders the salad?

Eating your politics isn’t for everyone and it’s easy to go overboard with the food thing (see the Portlandia episode featuring Colin, the chicken), but there are some companies with politics so against everything I believe in that I simply can’t give them my money. Remember back in the day when Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan started donating to Operation Rescue and a bunch of doctors who provided abortions were killed? Chick-fil-A is one of these companies for me.

The company is very open about their Christian roots, and I like religious freedom. It’s a private company with every right to be closed on Sundays and give people discounts for going to church or whatever. But Chick-fil-A’s charitable arm, the WinShape Foundation, loves to hate on gay marriage and has close ties to the National Organization for Marriage’s Ruth Institute and “ex-gay” activists Alan Chambers and David Blankenhorn.

The Ruth Institute and the National Organization for Marriage’s line is that same-sex marriage destroys the fabric of society, and they’ve worked hard to pass legislation banning gay marriage or taking existing marriage equality rights away from same-sex couples. Chambers, of Exodus International, is a proponent of ex-gay therapy, which perpetuates the idea that there is something wrong with being gay – and after a year of highly-publicized teen suicides linked to bullying and homophobia, can’t we all agree that telling people there’s something wrong with them is a bad idea?

But will denying yourself the joy of Chick-fil-A make the world better for gay people? Across the country, college kids say it will and in Florida, Indiana and New York, students have rallied to get the franchises kicked off campus. Change.org has a series of stories worth taking a look at but it’s too soon to say what will happen in Chicago. The Windy City Times is the best local source for news about the issue and has raised some good points. If there are gay and lesbian Chick-fil-A employees, none have complained of discrimination but that could be because there aren’t any. As the paper points out, the corporation openly favors married people and most of its locations are in states that do not recognize gay marriage, so potential gay and lesbian employees would appear to be automatically out of the running. Because Chicago’s human rights ordinance includes sexual orientation and gender identity, that could also be a key factor as the community decides whether to organize a boycott.

I know many of my butter-bun loving pals can’t wait for April and the chance for a little southern comfort, but organized or not, I’ll personally be boycotting Chick-fil-A.

I don’t have a problem with what people do in their bedroom. It’s when people bring their “bedroom identity” out into the public sphere. Some things should stay private.

Another thing, not all Christians are “anti-gay”. I don’t care what people do in private so long as they keep it to themselves. On the other hand, I personally know of at least one atheist who thinks that all gays should be shot! Life isn’t always so black and white.

It’s not about tolerance, no one’s suggesting they should close their doors or making them leave. It’s about not allowing a company to profit from you because that profit is used in an agenda against you. If the company was tolerant, then there wouldn’t be an issue at all. I love their food, but I won’t finance an attack against my family and friends who have alternative lifestyles. Why is the typical response “shut up” when conservatives don’t agree with you or don’t understand the subject? I’d never tell you to shut up… that’s tolerance.

Their chicken is all kinds of awesome and I’m not gay… but I do support my friends and family who are. And I don’t like the idea of my money going to support a blatantly bigoted agenda. So I decided about a year ago when I realized what kind of company they were to personally boycott them. Sure, I miss the chicken, but as a freedom loving person who detests those who try to control or inhibit freedom, well… why would freedom fund it’s demise. The price is far too high, so I’ll cook at home

Why so defensive? The companies that fight gay marriage usually choose to hide it from their public, this post merely reveals it. I never see anything about weird bigoted views when I go into the chick-fil-a near me. I probably WON’T go back now that I know about how they spend the profits from their customers. That’s MY decision, obviously different from yours. Is that what you fear? That if people find this post they might buy less product from chick-fil-a?

As far as Obama goes, he mistakenly tried to reach out and heal the growing political rift that the Rick Warrens’ of America’s religious right have encouraged ever since they discovered “culture wars” put money in their pockets.

Thanks for the LIE about Bolthouse Farms:

” Mr. and Mrs. William J. Bolthouse sold their interest in Wm. Bolthouse Farms in late 2005, and since then The Bolthouse Foundation has reflected their giving decisions exclusively. The Bolthouse Foundation is a separate entity from Bolthouse Farms, and all funding decisions by The Bolthouse Foundation are made solely by the Foundation. No members of The Bolthouse Foundation have a financial interest in Bolthouse Farms, and The Bolthouse Foundation receives neither financial support nor benefits from the profits of Bolthouse Farms.[5]”

Was it just too tempting to “stick it” to the author of the article to bother checking your facts? Or are you a Koch brothers/Heritage Foundation web-monkey paid to spam-up the internet with bad right-wing propaganda? Maybe your trust fund has a lot of chick-fil-a stock? In any event, when you want to find out what’s really wrong with America, look in the mirror.

I didn’t want to comment at first because I’m so sick of this stupid, made-up nonsense, but I couldn’t help myself. This is not a Christian nation and the Constitution was not based on “Judeo-Christian” values. Many of the founding fathers were Diests, and there’s direct quotes that suggest some were possibly even agnostic/atheist.

It’s called the separation of church and state, and yes I know it doesn’t actually say that specific phrase in the First Amendment, but the basic concept is there. Read the Treaty of Tripoli, where the founding fathers very clearly say that the US Gov’t is not in any way founded on the Christian religion.

I’m sorry, but you can take human morality, which comes about naturally from us being a social species that needs to cooperate in order to survive, and give all the credit for it to some book. A book that not only came about hundreds of years after many civilizations had already had pretty decent moral codes, but also a book that is filled with some of the most heinous atrocities and yet calls them good and just.

You realize of course, that there are a great many of us who deliberately gravitate to ChikFilA for the exact reasons you list. What I see is a well run private establishment, that treats their employees well and fairly while at the same time delivering a superior product. The values they hold are not really an issue to me, though they are largely in keeping with my own. I try not to politicize my lunch.

I invite you to establish your own restaurant serving whatever you may like with the clear vaues that you state and hold as the driving force behind the business. Perhaps “Gay Bob’s Alphalpha and Tofu Emporium.” I even wish you well. I will not, however, invest in such an endeavor, as I see it as being doomed to failure. But, as I do not politicize my lunch, I might try your place for a day. If the food is good, I might come back. But if not, I will enjoy a tender, tasty chicken breast fried in peanut oil, blissfully unconcerned about the politics and values that are held by the owners.

It must be odd to find one’s self feeling anger toward succesful, benign businesses on a daily basis.

That’s what I always find funny about conservatives, they take what people say about them (uneducated rants) and throw it at people it doesn’t apply to. “I’m rubber your glue…” is something you’re supposed to leave behind in kindergarten. You don’t still eat paste do you?

Typical right-wing hypocrite: If you don’t like gay marriage, don’t get one, but quit trying to pass laws that ban other people from doing it if they want to. This is the heart of right-wing thinking, if I don’t like it there oughta be a law to make sure no one else gets access to it! This is still America, the land where you are free to make your own decision about how to live your life, even if it gives righties the vapors…

To have the opposite view of people who are in support of gay rights is absolutely homophobic and bigoted. How does what other people do in their bedroom affect you? I am a liberal and I don’t “expect tolerance” of any of my beliefs. Everyone should have the fucking right to get married or do whatever it is they want to do with their personal life. I have tolerance for people who don’t agree with me, as long as they are making valid, educated points. I have zero tolerance for hateful, intolerant people, and that is what you are.

100% agreed, if 10,000 people march on DC in support of gay rights, they are called “human rights activists” and generally not opposed, because to have an opposite view is to be “homophobic” or “bigoted.” It’s ironic that the very thing the liberal-left seems to stand for (open-mindedness, inclusiveness, compassion, human rights) is in opposition to what most of them practice, in reality it’s a motto of “agree with my point of view or else” leaving no room for dialogue or discourse, and if you are in opposition to their views you are just dismissed as ignorant. Seems to me the person who is ignorant is the person who doesn’t weightily consider all points of view before making a decision.

to say religion doesn’t play a part in legal matters is a pretty ignorant statement when in fact our Constitution’s roots are firmly planted in the founding fathers Judeo-Christian values. The more we deny this and try to separate every part of our government from its moral roots, the further our country morally declines. It’s refreshing to see a company like Chic-fil-a make a public statement about its morals despite the bashing from the left.

If you don’t like the fact that Chic-fil-a’s public stance is against gay marriage, don’t eat there, simple as that. But I wonder how many other companies you buy products from have the same official stance? Why aren’t you writing long, uneducated rants against them as well?

Do you really have a problem with what others are doing in their bedroom? If two people want to be together, who are you to tell them they can’t? This is the fundamental problem with trying to mix religion (you cannot choose this way of life) and democracy (do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t impede another persons liberty).

I am not gay, but I have NO problem with with what they are doing. If your religion says they are going to hell because of what they are doing then you also need to follow something else your religion is telling you… Judge not lest ye be judged. What they are doing does not affect you (or me) in the slightest. But by pushing an anti-gay agenda, Christians are not only showing their hypocrisy, but also how blind they are to it.

In order to eat there you have to give them your money. Some of that money is profit. Some of that profit then goes to organizations that push their non-chicken-sandwich anti-gay marriage agenda. So yeah, actually, eating there DOES mean you support what they believe, financially. You’re paying for their extracurriculars. Think, then post.

love chick fil a and since when is being against gay marriage such a wrong thing. gay people are completely against marriage in the first place or they’d all be wedding planners instead of interior designers or fashion designers. hahahahahahhaa jk but seriously if lady gaga wants to promote gay marriage then by all means let chick fil a denounce it!

good point, not eating at a restaurant will definitely fix all the problems gay people experience. this article was far more than just an informative piece aimed to educate the masses, it was deliberately trying to push its own blatantly biased opinions.

It is amazing that where the rest of the corporate world would balk at closing one day a week, Chik-Fil-A has embraced it… and apparantly has not suffered, but prospered. Having eaten at CFL all over GA, I can say that they always have the cleanest, friendliest and most customer service oriented business of any fast food franchise (and most non-fast food). CFL is a private company by choice and I suspect will prosper in Chicago regardless of whether you boycott it or not… maybe someone will open a rainbow themed vegetable garden for you…

Chick Fil-A recently opened in my town so it was naturally all the buzz for a while. And then I learned about how they have southern roots and are closed on Sunday because it’ a Christian organization, and I thought – wow, how unique-that’s not something I’ve ever heard of from any other restaurant. I didn’t think much of it, but it stood out in my head as a food provider with a unique and effective business model. I also was thinking, like, wow this place is really popular and I’m surprised there are no people outside protesting or anything. It’s strange and a bit inspiring to see a company with values in this day and age. And then I saw this article. Ahh. There it is. I was wondering where the liberals were on this one. Can’t let those Christians get away unabashed. Pshh and I almost thought they let this one fly under the radar.

@R Mayo: I was going to try and type something of a rebuff but then I read yours and you said it much better than I would have. So pls allow me to cut and paste to save me the typing:::::
R MAYO SAID: “Food Nazi. If you dont like it don’t eat it. If you dont like their Christian values then don’t go there. This is the heart of liberal thinking, if I don’t like it no one else should have access to it. Get over your Atheist, Vegan, non fried food eating hatred for all people who don’t fall in line with you thinking. This is still America, the land where you are free to make your own decision about how to live your life.”

the author isn’t suggesting that they can’t. just like someone who is against gay marriage might not want to buy a Lady Gaga album, the author just doesn’t want to eat at Chik Fil A, and they’re using their personal space on the web to tell people why.

you must be incredibly blind if you don’t see religions other than christianity being attacked. i’ll give you a hint.. the two religions I see attacked most often are the two with the reputation of being in everyone else’s business.

none of us who are for gay marriage care what the bible says about marriage. marriage has been adopted to a *legal* concept, and that is our concern. religion does not play a part in legal matters(see the Constitution). so if you want to keep gays from getting married in your churches, that’s fine. noone cares.

why is it that we must be so against christianity but no one will say anything about the any other religion? why do we have a hate for christians. all religions are based off a “god” of some sort so we know that there is something out there. just because you dont believe dont criticize everyone who does. the Bible very distinctively describes marriage as husband and wife. not husband and husband. or wife and wife. i dont hate on gays. but i dont condone it. i think more of society should go back to the good old days off spending your sundays with your families. rather than most of us having to work. props to chick fi la for keeping what they believe alive.

Hi, I just want to comment that your line “We’re all smart enough to know that 920 calories for lunch […] is too many.”

This is a gross generalization and is untrue for anyone who can claim to be physically healthy. In order to be physically healthy, you should be physically active, which means you exercise and burn energy at a constant rate. It also can be called “the opposite of a sedentary lifestyle”. The truth is that I eat about 1000 Calories for lunch when I am not regularly exercising… when I am regularly exercising, that number can rise to about 1500 or sometimes 2000 during peak performance times. Professional athletes who compete regularly can eat four times this amount per meal.

The point is, your statement might be correct, but only for people living sedentary lifestyles, but those have been proven to be unhealthy and for people who have no goals in life. If your target audience is only people with sedentary lifestyles, why are you talking about eating healthily?

We ate at Chick-Fil-A the first time the other day. It was fantastic. I rarely eat fast food, but everything was good and hot and the best part- the service was awesome. The staff was pleasant, cheerful, and professional. Contrast to the local McDonald’s down the street where the “customer service” people wear gang colors and cuss in front of customers. If Jesus gives me good service in a restaurant, so be it.

Typical liberal response… expect tolerance of your beliefs but have zero tolerance of those who don’t agree with you. You can’t have it both ways. You expect companies like Chickfila to shut up, but rejoice when companies like Google openly support the gay lifestyle. Jeez, just shut up already.

Really? Politics, religion, and all the rest are COMPLETELY fine in a corporation. Complaining about this is like saying Mad Greens shouldn’t be allowed to operate because they try to force their vegan beliefs on me. If you don’t like their politics (which they DON’T hide) don’t eat there. Easy.

Try reading the article before unleashing your reactionary nonsense. Nobody suggested the business should be prohibited from opening. This is just about educating consumers so that they can make informed decisions. Corporations have a lot of power in this country and the root of that power is the money they get from us, the consumer. I want to know what businesses are doing with my money so that I can choose to support the ones that are in line with my views and interests and oppose the ones that are against it. That’s as American as anything you’re espousing, so you get over yourself.

I agree with you, but I really do not agree with the gay hatred. We hate them because they hate gays and its primitive. If they didn’t harness such hatred in the first place, no one would be against them. Simple as that.

President Obama chose Rick Warren to have a central role in his inauguration. Warren has “deep ties” to the anti-gay movement, as well as the anti-abortion movement. Have you chosen to boycott president Obama as well?

Whole Foods carries Bolthouse Farms’ products, whose CEO adamantly defended against the gay marriage movement in CA. I’m sure, being the vegan that you are, you’ve found a way to boycott Whole Foods as well?

Let’s find out how depply your convictions run. Not to stereotype you, but if I make a wild guess I’d say you voted for Obama and that you’ve picked up a pound or two of produce from Whole Foods.

Thank god one company stands for something.. I don’t like that they are closed on Sundays but it’s cool to me that they are against Gay Marriage. After all its Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve.

I am not religious but I like the idea that they don’t have to cater to political correctness and can actually be different from everyone else. If you don’t like their message, don’t eat there. I do and it’s pretty good food.

Chic-fil-a is by far the healthiest fast food restaurant out there and most of their combo’s are under 600 calories, much lower comparatively to other restaurants. As far as the gay marriage destroying society, maybe you should join the rainbow coalition or move to California.

Yes, this is America. And people are also free to voice their opinion.

So get over your theist, carnivore, deep-fry everything hatred for all people who don’t fall in line with your thinking and let this person miss out on those 70 cent chicken sandwiches that Chic-fil-a charges $4 for.

who cares what their beliefs are… Eating there does not mean you support what they believe. Does this mean that if you found out that your friend doesn’t believe in gay marriage you wouldn’t talk to them?

I have to agree with you king, besides a companies business strategy is its own. If working to glorify God somehow makes this company efficient and successful so be it. Its their business strategy not any one else.

You can cry your little boycott all you want it doesn’t change the fact that they have a successful business in the face of a recession. This article is clearly written by some one with a very Loud Agenda of their own.

I have never even heard of this website before and I followed a link here through digg. When I read the first paragraph I got the impression that this website is just another site full of people spewing their opinionated, one-sided garbage derived from their insecurites. It took (a lot of) further reading to determine that this is not the purpose of the website.

My question is why would you allow an article, that portrays your website as full of anger and opinions as this one does, to be published?

I have never even heard of this website before and I followed a link here through digg. When I read the first paragraph I got the impression that this website is just another site full of people spewing their opinionated, one-sided garbage derived from their insecurites. It took (a lot of) further reading to determine that this is not the purpose of the website.

My question is why would you allow an article, that portrays your website as full of anger and opinions as this one does, to be published?

Food Nazi. If you dont like it dont eat it. If you dont like their christian values the dont go there. This is the heart of liberal thinking, if I dont like it no one else should have access to it. Get over your Atheist, Vegan, non fried food eating hatred for all people who dont fall in line with you thinking. This is still America, the land where you are free to make your own decision about how to live your life.

Their food is only unhealthy if people eat too much of it and don’t exercise regularly and it is a lot healthier than most fast food places. But still, a lot of liberal types out there would want the government to ban it because we would all be better off letting other people make our decisions for us and giving the government more control over our lives.

Obviously the person who wrote this article is heavily biased. Chic-fil-a is a community oriented organization that helps in more ways than it hurts. Go look at any fast food joint and your bound to find somewhere an opposition to gay/samesex marriage or worse. To the author, dont see you protesting the tootsie roll factory!!! I can tell you they definitely dont like gays.

Ok, I don’t know where you get that eating fast food some how makes a person less of a Christian, but if I were going to try to follow your train of thought, then, yes it MAY shorten your life span. Still how is that sin?
Second of all, if you owned a business, don’t you think that if you wanted you should be able to express your values and ideas?

I think so. See that is the great part of America…that we can express those views even if people like you and others do not agree with those views.

So, I just read this (after the Letter to Editor) …nice.
No wonder it got people riled up!! I’m thrilled that EcoSalon is stepping out and having a fresh and poignant voice amidst all the noise and static everywhere. I always think,” Won’t someone just say it??!!” And now we will. Ahhh …

And I think it is a media-driven myth that values have gone down the drain. We have lower crime than during earlier decades, we have fewer child abductions, we have less sexual assault, and fewer abortions – all in the last decade vs. in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

What if someone’s “values” are that blacks and whites should be separated in public spaces? Those were acceptable values of “good folks” for many, many years in this country, and those values were held by many Southern Christians. Should we tolerate intolerance just because they are “values” of some of today’s Christians? (Not all, of course, but some.) We don’t have to ban it or bring in the courts, because religious freedom entitles a private company to believe whatever it wants, but we can certainly vote with our dollars and eat a chicken sandwich elsewhere where discriminatory activities are not carried out in the name of Christian “values”.

The title of this made me laugh but I totally agree with what you’re saying here. I’m vegetarian too so I would never eat at Chik-fil-A anyway – but their stance against gay marriage and other social issues would keep me far away even if I weren’t. Personally, I’m not a fan of the religious gobbledygook on the wrappers, but as you said, they’re a private company and they have the right to do that (though I’d like to see a Muslim-owned company try to do the same here in the U.S. – how would the same people that support Chik-fil-A’s religiosity react to that?)

I don’t think any Fast Food company is any position to loftily decree their “Values”, especially not one which serves up an artery clogging, fat laden, chemically drenched menu, the hypocrisy.

So Chick-fil-A supports anti-gay marriage movements because they claim that gay marriage, will destroy the fabric of society. So in turn I ask, serving up food that leads to Heart Disease and Heart Attacks helps to hold up what kind of society? One where children are left with parents who’s lives are limited, and so are there coronary artery passages?

Chik-fil-A wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Double Bypass.

How does this glorify God? Maybe in a carotid, heart-blockage confusion, they’ve replaced the commandment “Love thy neighbor as thy self” with an acrimonious talking bucket of chicken. Put Colonel Sanders in a white robe, I guess it could be confusing.

Although it bothers me that some of my fellow Christians find people’s sexuality to be their business, telling them that they chose it and whatever, there doesn’t seem to be anything malicious behind this company. True, they could read the Bible a little better and read that homosexuality was mentioned in Leviticus of the Old Testament (which doesn’t apply to us anymore) and in one of Paul’s letters only, (and we all know that Paul was secretly craving some chicken himself, if you get my drift), but from what I just read they don’t seem like they are doing anything to maliciously attack people. (What they are doing is still harmful though, with taking away people’s rights and all.)

So yeah, I probably wouldn’t eat there or talk religion with them, but I don’t (yet) see them being malicious.

Trey, America has a long and very successful history of boycotting. Just take segregation as one example. Americans are very good at getting companies to change when they speak with their feet and wallets. I would also add that looking the other way at companies’ misdeeds simply because “they all do it” is hardly the way to create a better life for ourselves.

I love Chick Fil A. If you’re looking for a company that doesn’t do something perfect you’ll be eating bark from a tree out back. Whenever I hear the word ‘boycott’ I try to think of one time it’s actually been successful…and I’m still thinking. Eat more chicken, or don’t.

agreed with LLm649….We do have freedom of speech…they can say whatever they want on their sandwich wrapers. I am also a Christian, and believe and strive to do everything to the glory of God. I don’t see a problem with them stating what they believe. You all are in fact stating what you believe here….its a free country and you can say what you want I don’t eat fast food and won’t buy meat unless the animals have been exclusively grass fed, and I buy only organic…I don’t like to feed myself or my kids that awful stuff….so…I don’t eat chick-fil-a but I do respect the fact that they stand up for what they believe in No matter the cost…If that means loosing business etc.

I can understand how a mission statement for a fast food restaurant can be creepy and annoying. But, as Christians we believe in doing everything unto the glory of God: and we try to tell other believers and unbelievers this, even if it is on a sandwich wrapper.